Departure

One month before the end of spring, a line of wagons approached the farm. The caravan halted on the north-south road while a small contingent of guards escorted a chubby man on foot towards the farm. Mr. Thomas met them at the gate and then ushered them inside.

"Hello, this one is called Shep Windit. I represent the Windit merchant family in Frost City. The leader of the clan sent me a letter, with this one addressed to you. I will also serve as the liaison between our families."

Chu nodded, browsing the letter while glancing at the man. The round face contained an everlasting smile, as the narrow eyes surveyed the room. Two normal-looking rings adorned the fingers, topped with polished black stones.

To the average commoner, this man possessed the bearing of a typical merchant. Chu, however, understood this man was no mere liaison. A hunter could tell that the material for the white fur coat came from winter foxes. A jeweler would also gasp at the polished gemstones made of black opal. The traveling wear of this man reeked of wealth.

"This humble one is called Chu. I think it will be a pleasure working with you, merchant Windit."

"Haha, same here, same here."

The two scanned each other and then broke out into smiles like a pair of old friends.

Chu indulged the man over a hearty lunch while promoting the ingredients. On a full stomach, he then led merchant Windit on a tour of the windmill. Toll even demonstrated the workings of the mill by grinding some corn into flour.

"Astounding. I doubted the head of the house when he wrote about this in his letter. The profits from a host of these machines as you call them will certainly be enormous."

Merchant Windit said while wiping his brows. Toll had given him the VIP tour which included climbing the tower. He stared up at the sails turning gently in the breeze, amazed at the free coins they produced. Chu led him into the large warehouse.

"These barrels contain the mixture for the waterproof cloth. Simply soak the cloth thoroughly in the liquid and hang them out to dry."

"Great, this serves us well since our operation is centered in Frost City. This way we won't have to move many resources. The market centers on cloaks and robes, so this amount of liquid might not last us a month."

Merchant Windit said. He showed Chu the traveling cloak of an accompanying guard. The thick material would definitely suck the barrels dry. With the expected sales, the few hundred barrels wouldn't last long.

"Hmm... Senior, I don't mean to pry into your business but there is another way. You can open the bales of cloth and paint the surface with the liquid. This way you save on the barrels while increasing your output."

Chu tapped a barrel with his boot while glancing at the merchant. He further continued,

"Although the finished product might admit water later, a few additional coats of paint would do wonders."

Sure enough, Shep Windit lived up to Chu's expectations. The subtle hints nurtured his merchant instinct.

"If we paint one coat of liquid, it would probably serve its purpose for a year. We can also take the initiative to recoat a sold piece of clothing for a small sum. For better quality material, we can double-coat it while increasing the price."

The merchant said as his eyes sparkled.

"Mike, head out to the convoy and have them drop the sacks of grain here. They can then load these barrels. The sooner we return to the city, the faster we earn money."

Merchant Windit said.

"How much for the grain?"

"No need, no need. Consider it a gift from our first meeting. Hopefully, we can have the same amount of barrels when we return at the end of summer. Oh, and please call me Shep."

"Thank you for the grain, merchant Shep. I think we can provide the same amount of barrels at the end of a season. I don't mind cutting into my profits if you can supply double the amount of grain."

Chu returned the smile from the merchant who rubbed his hands. Nothing beats a business relationship when the two partners see eye to eye.

***

"Ah, I left my snowbear backpack. Wait for me."

"My jar of pellets, I forgot my jar of new pellets."

"Forget these idiots, let's go!"

The chattering crowd waved goodbye as the three wagons finally set out from the farm. Chu spoke some words to Clod before patting his shoulder. Halter helped him mount the horse since he rode behind the wagon. On the first day of summer, Chu left the farm.

He rode past the wagon driven by Sakura. The little girl clicked the reigns with a face full of excitement. Like an expectant child who waited for this vacation trip, Sakura smiled and chatted to ease the butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

Sitting beside her, Dyna munched on a pickle waving her hands and laughing as she talked. This crafty devil switched into an angelic little girl among her close kin. A large covered cage occupied the tray, within which a large wolf lay dozing.

The flimsy wooden door remained open at the rear, as the other two inhabitants roamed the countryside. The horse clipped beside the second wagon. This one contained supplies and an open birdcage. Chu had no choice but to bring this flying disaster with him.

"Is everything okay, Miki?"

"Yup, Clod, and Jim double-checked the supplies last night again for us. We have more than enough food for us and the horses. Brella and Sally are riding around following Lucy."

Chu nodded and then grimaced as she dipped one hand into a pouch and placed a fist full of coins into a bowl. He shuddered on recalling the shaman's words.

The three girls should be riding around the grasslands. Chu spared no expense when it came to the horses, with a pair of horses harnessed to the wagons. He clicked his mount to the leading carriage to start a conversation.

"With this speed, we can probably reach Karst within two to three days. We don't need to enter since I just have to collect something."

"Very well then, we can wait with the caravan outside the walls. From there, it should take us a little over two weeks to arrive in Limerock city. You do know that with this amount of horses, we will attract attention right?"

"More horses means more loot? Hopefully, we can earn some money on that leg of the journey."

Chu answered. Mr. Thomas drove the carriage with Mrs. Thomas sitting beside him. The modified carriage consisted of a full wooden enclosure with spring lifts and steering. Currently, it remained vacant since Amanda and Sue had galloped towards the Brown farm to make a delivery.

He chatted with Mrs. Thomas before joining Ming and Tye riding in the front. Clod remained on the farm to tend the fields. The blond-haired teen remained adamant about staying home for this trip. Chu, however, knew this excuse masked Clod's true intentions. Rose also chose to stay, taking up the post as head of security.

***

Camping in the wild turned out just as he imagined. They parked their wagons in the field near the road and unhitched the horses to graze. Dyna grabbed the three girls who normally remained home and spirited them into the grasslands.

By the time Chu helped Ming set up the campfire and carried water for the horses, Dyna returned. Amanda held up her catch proudly, unconcerned about the blood and feathers smeared on her face and clothes.

"Look, mother, I caught this one myself. I sneaked up to this one and shot it. Can you believe it, one shot, the daily training really paid off."

"Chu, Sue and I caught this pheasant. We had to chase after it for days after I shot its wing."

Sakura chimed in while holding up a large bird.

The excited chatter continued during the preparation and cooking, as the hunters recounted their recent adventure. Mr. Thomas turned in early with his wife, as Dyna carried the girls on a night adventure under the moon.

"Hey Chu, I just figured out they palmed all the housework on us. You need to lay your foot down, man. They already control my money, next thing you know I'll be cooking in the kitchen while they head out adventuring."

"U-huh, when the Sersen comes back, feel free to share your thoughts."

Chu replied while laying down and burying himself under a blanket. Tye huddled next to the fire, lost in his world of sketches and notes.

Early the next morning the caravan set out, with the girls sleeping in the carriage. Ming drove the last carriage, voicing his grievances with a dozing wolf.

They traveled to Karst without encountering any trouble. Leaving the wagons outside the walls, Chu entered with Ming for a brief visit. They exited the town carrying a large chest between them.

"Wow, so beautiful!"

"Amazing, I have never seen such designs before. Not even the nobles wear such exquisite jewelry."

Mrs. Thomas nodded in appreciation as she browsed through the various designs in the chest. The girls squealed and yelled in excitement as they opened the soft cloth which contained the precious jewels. For an entire day, they never exited the carriage.

The jeweler had lived up to his word and completed the order. The tradesman had hired extra help and completed the designs the boy left with him. The worth of that chest might make a high-ranking nobleman faint.

The road from Karst to the city of Limerock ran from west to east. Unlike the rutted, clay roads that extended from the town to the surrounding villages, the road consisted of spread gravel and stone slabs.

Meandering over hills and shallow valleys with bubbling brooks, it ran through hedges and sparse clumps of woodland forest. Fellow travelers passed them by, greeting with a nod before hustling about their own business. Most of the time, however, they found themselves camping alone.

Just like now, in the middle of a woodland grove.

A prime place for an ambush.